The day that Jesus was handed over to the people to be crucified was also the preparation for the Passover. This is very significant since Jesus is the Lamb of God, who came to take away the sins of the world, and the next day the high priest would be offering up a lamb for the sins of the people. It is written, “and it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.” (John 19:14-16) The Passover happened every year on the fourteenth day of the first month. It is written, “And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord” (Numbers 28:16) This is when the High Priest would “offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish.” (Numbers 28:19) However, this year and after they would be doing this in vain, for the Lamb of God had already come. It is so interesting that after the temple was destroyed in 70 ad, blood sacrifices for sin slowly ended.
In the times of the old covenant, it was told that “and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.” (Numbers 28:30) This was done through the death of the animal and its burnt offerings. A similar thing happened when Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins. At the moment of His death, the veil in the temple was rent, meaning God’s presence would no longer dwell in that place, but in us. Concerning Jesus and His death, it is written, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.” (Matthew 27:50,51) The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is the most significant day of all days of this hearth in history. This is because, “much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:9-11) Atonement was made through Jesus’s death. Don’t listen to anyone that says the atonement was made anywhere else but the cross. Amen.
Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people understand the importance of the cross. The moment people add to the atonement, which was in death, they stumble and fall, while leading others in the same way. I have seen this in the lives of many people that claim to be a believer in You. They deny that Your death on the cross was the only place where the atonement was made, while teaching false doctrines concerning the garden of Gethsemane. I rebuke them for saying that You began the atonement in the garden. Surely, this is a lie from the Satan that has been taught unto the Mormons at large. It is sad that they have not studied the Bible enough to know that only in Your death was atonement made. Any other place before the cross was in preparation for this most important event. Lord, if people would just understand what You did for them when You took upon our sins and died for us, they would stop adding to and taking away from the atonement. Truly, a false gospel is taught that says that You started the payment of sins in the garden and ended on the cross. This false teaching tears me up inside and causes me to weep. Do they not realize they are trampling upon the sacrifice You made for them, Jesus. Have mercy upon their souls. Stamp out these false beliefs, in Your Name, I pray. I love You. Amen.
